Agnostic.com
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New Year's Eve 2014, and I am heading out for revelry just like everyone else.
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Dipping a toe in South Dakota the afternoon before starting RAGBRAI 2015. Starting town was Sioux City IA, and we ended up in Davenport a week later.
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Not a great picture, but I am wearing a jersey from one of my favorite bike shops on Earth, Revolution Cycles in Madison, WI.
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I spent most of my life in the Midwest, mostly St. Louis, MO and Madison, WI. Moving to New England recently has been a revelation. I thoroughly enjoy the Massachusetts Bay area, especially Somerville and Cambridge.

The sciences are a lifelong fascination for me, starting with rocks, fossils and reptiles as a kid. I eventually studied chemistry and electronics formally. At various times, I spent any time not at work fly fishing, distance running, renovating old houses, endurance cycling, and wrenching on bicycles.

Married at one point, long separated. It's a long story.

I love speculation based on fact. It's fascinating to dream, and dream big because sometimes reality is wilder than most of us ever forsee.

Full Bio

Comments

Are young adults wiser than old adults?
alliwant comments on Nov 25, 2018:
It's hard to generalize, especially when the terms are undefined. Is a "young" adult 22, and an "old" adult 45? At 45, we are generally a little wiser than at 22. I certainly was. But if "young" is 45 and "old" is 80 does that still hold true? At 80, we don't have much future left and some of the wisdom needed at earlier ages is not so relevant. There's no easy answer, especially when the question is so broadly stated.
"Our Donald who stinks to heaven Shallow be thy name Thy kingdom scum Thy will be dumb What on ...
alliwant comments on Nov 25, 2018:
My favorite nickname for the Orange One is Hair Furor, but that one snipe pales next to your mock prayer. Well done!
The more time that goes by the more I am starting to realize how important real communication is.
alliwant comments on Nov 24, 2018:
Have you found any ways to get at the kind of communication you are seeking? One thought is you might begin by telling about a fascination of yours, or asking about a fascination of he who might catch your interest. Clouds are just something I find visually intriguing, fun to gawk at, not earth-shaking, but always different. So maybe that is the kind of question to consider; what makes you gaze or pause in reverie, just happy to have the capacity to wonder?
What’s a movie or song that you can never get tired of?
alliwant comments on Nov 21, 2018:
"Mysterious Ways" by U2. I am happy to let that song give me an earworm any time.
What Song Makes You Think of People and Places? Positive and Negative?
alliwant comments on Nov 21, 2018:
"Rose Tattoo" by the Dropkick Murphys. Makes me think of a lot of people who are gone, others that I know could lose someday, and if I'd actually want their names in ink. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d8SzG4FPyM
What are you listening to? (post a link in the comments)
alliwant comments on Nov 21, 2018:
It took me a while to locate this disc, but worth the wait. "These Days" by Foo Fighters, from CD "Wasting Light." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDVAQI-4lto
Do you like music in languages you don't understand?
alliwant comments on Nov 21, 2018:
Absolutely! Well over half the music in my collection is in languages besides English, which is the only language in which I know more than a few stray words. I got hooked on music from across the globe by Wisconsin Public Radio's show Higher Ground, Georges Collinet's Afropop Worldwide, and lots of used Putomayo CDs in record shops. A good song is a pleasure no matter the language. Saw one of my longtime favorites a month ago in Cambridge, Youssou N'Dour. Tinariwen, Cheikh Lo, Papa Wemba, Ismael Isaac, Mokoomba, Baaba Maal, TootArd, and Tal National are some of the performers I find irresistable in any language. Give them a try!
Men Say They Want A Smart Women...Until They Date One | I Heart Intelligence.com
alliwant comments on Nov 19, 2018:
Intelligence is my first qualification in a woman, but it's not my only qualification. Humor, humility and adaptability also really help. Those are the essentials I can name, the others are beyond precise description; things like compatibility, which we feel but mostly describe by metaphors. "Comfortable as an old shoe." "Two stones polishing each other." My question is if intelligence is really the dealbreaker. That would take some careful research to reveal.
In a lot of jobs, a 99% success rate is considered excellent.
alliwant comments on Nov 18, 2018:
High wire artist or skydiver. If at first you don't suceed, those pursuits aren't for you.
How do we stop young men ending their life? How do we fix the depression epidemic amongst young men?
alliwant comments on Nov 18, 2018:
A quick question and suggestion about depression among men. Does anyone know if part of the problem is under diagnosis? I came across a commentary years ago, (I have no idea where) suggesting that depression among men is under diagnosed because the symptoms for many men are misleading; a large number of depressed men appear not to be 'sad' or 'blue,' but chronically angry, which is not well known as a symptom. Does anyone know if there's any validity to that?
What is your moral compass?
alliwant comments on Nov 15, 2018:
Does a moral compass point in only one direction? Magnetic compasses do. Or is the very notion of a compass rather limiting? I prefer to think in terms more like a compass rose, with some cardinal points and minor divisions as well. What are your cardinal points? Mine might be truth, wonder, love and humility. Truth was here long before us and will be here after we are gone. I think one of our main virtues is that we can recognize and pursue truths wherever they lead, if we have the nerve to do so. Wonder is a great spice for my life, hopefully for yours too. I can't help but stop and gaze when there are some really intricate high clouds overhead, or the stars are really bright, or the waves are swirling through the rocks at the shoreline. I sometimes consider getting this lyric inked: "I'm a seed, wondering why it grows..." Love has had more print devoted to it than I could even describe, with good reason. Strong emotional bonds may be deep beyond words, and shape much of our lives. What would your life be without the love of your spouse, your children, your few best friends? A few generous souls can light the way for us all with an altruistic example. Humility keeps us in perspective. It's more a matter of choosing wisely that which we do, with an eye to the good rather than aggrandizement. Being humble also leaves us some room to consider the good of others, by not being too wrapped up in ourselves. So, does anyone have a similar system of ethical navigation? Please share if you do!
Did you have trouble accepting your lack of belief in religion when you realized you were ...
alliwant comments on Nov 15, 2018:
I went to a relatively liberal protestant church during my teenage years, by my own choice and mostly without the rest of my family. I really enjoyed some of the sermons I heard, and likely still would today because the some of the pastors were really intelligent, thoughtful men. Eventually, though, I realized I was just moving with the herd and left it behind. Leaving the community aspect was harder than realizing I didn't believe. Believing didn't come naturally, and letting go was pretty easy.
My 32-year old sister just found out that despite having a hysterectomy two years ago, her cervical ...
alliwant comments on Nov 14, 2018:
It's hardly self-pitying or pointless to be concerned about you sister's health or your own given that you both have had potentially devastating illnesses. Likewise if you are just plain scared, because it appears you really understand that both of you live with an existential threat. My closest brush with such a fear was a defective heart valve that needed a surgical overhaul some years ago. I lost some cardiac capacity, but gained a more reliable heart in the process, so I came out pretty good in the end. I was definitely a little scared of getting sawed open and stitched back together, but knew I really had no other choice; no surgery and I would go into heart failure, which would be intolerable. So, I am thankful for where I am at, and that you are doing better, and I hope for the best for your sister. In an uncertain world, hope is a must.

Photos

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Dipping a toe in South Dakota the afternoon before starting RAGBRAI 2015. Starting town was Sioux City IA, and we ended up in Davenport a week later.
1
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Not a great picture, but I am wearing a jersey from one of my favorite bike shops on Earth, Revolution Cycles in Madison, WI.
1
1 Like Show
Bicycling Kokopeli temp from Mt Auburn IA during RAGBRAI 2015.
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Dipping my front wheel in the Mississippi at the end of RAGBRAI 2015, Davenport IA. Riding across Iowa is my idea of a great week's vacation.
Agnostic, Humanist, Secularist, Skeptic, Freethinker
Open to meeting women
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